Intimate waxing is hot business. Clients are searching for an esthetician who can turn a waxing experience that may be filled with anxiety into a sigh of relief.
During my many years of waxing, I have listened to tales of estheticians who are somewhat lost while giving the intimate waxing experience. In most states, waxing is touched on only briefly during core education hours, and advanced continuing education in intimate waxing is hard to find. It’s time to sharpen your skills and deliver a service so spectacular that you will turn a hesitant client into a lifetime loyal guest. A happy, relieved client is the end goal for an esthetician performing intimate waxing services.
Benefits of Bikinis and Brazilians
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Brazilian waxing is more than just a pre-vacation or honeymoon appointment. Going hair free is more comfortable for running, yoga, swimming and even wearing clothes. An intimate wax is a service all your clients want, including men. Men are seeking waxing for their intimate region in record numbers. Having the hair grow back soft vs. rough as well as being hair free for weeks is desirable.
Male Versus Female Intimate Wax
In this service, you will remove all the hair in the bikini and genitalia area, front and back. The Brazilian also includes removing the hair around the anus, from the backside and in between. Butt (pun intended), use proper anatomy names. The butt strip is the most satisfying area to wax for both sexes.
Usually, the intimate wax is referred to as the ‘Brazilian’ for women, and it’s done on the frontal pubic area including the entire labia while avoiding the clitoris. Women may want to go completely bare, have a thin strip, a tiny patch or it full on top and bare in the back.
For men, you may hear intimate waxing referred to as the “manzillian, boyzillian or brozillian.” This would include the frontal pubic area, shaft, scrotum and backside. However, everyone is different in their preferences. Many men want to leave most of the hair and clean up only the sides, like a bikini wax.
Now that you know what an intimate wax is, follow these tips to create a waxing experience to be raved about and not feared.
1. Professionalism
What is the number one complaint that clients have with waxing? Nope, it’s not the pain. The complaint that I hear most often is always related to poor bedside manner. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you remove the wax and then repeatedly apologize or ask your client if they are okay?
- Do you stay in the room as your client undresses and puts their clothes back on?
- Do you answer your phone while your client is in a compromising position?
- Do you comment on your client’s excessive hair?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, your bedside manner could use some fine-tuning. Make sure you keep it professional, and, for the love of all good things waxing, do not tell a guest to get on all fours or in doggie-style position. There is no need for the client to be in an uncomfortable position to get a clean wax in the behind area. The guest can simply lay on their stomach and lift the backside a bit. Think yoga not doggie style. A non-judgmental, professional and confident attitude will set you apart. Don’t lose a client due to lack of professionalism.
2. Pre-Appointment
I often hear estheticians advise the clients to take ibuprofen prior to the wax service. Do not advise anyone to take medication. In addition, ibuprofen acts as a blood thinner, which can lead to bruising from the wax service. Therefore, this isn’t the best advice.
3. Product is Important
Once the client is at ease, a swift skilled application with the best wax is the key to a successful intimate experience. There are plenty of professional wax products on the market. Choose a wax specifically for intimate waxing; hard wax is ideal. Invest in the training you need.
4. Sanitation
Disinfection and sanitation are THE most important aspects of offering intimate waxing. Don’t skip any sanitation steps ever, including gloves. Always wear gloves. Many estheticians explain to me that it’s difficult to wax with gloves on due to the stickiness of the wax. Guess what? The wrong gloves are the culprit not the wax. Nitrile and latex will stick to the wax, so choose vinyl.
5. Set Up Your Space
The wax pot should be disinfected and clean with the wax temperature set to go. Pre-and-post-wax products should also be clean and set up in a convenient manner. Place a piece of table paper on to the bed along with a modesty towel and a towelette for the client to use. Then, invite the client into your clean and welcoming space. For a personal touch that will set you apart, diffuse lavender to greet your guest with a sigh of relief.
6. Privacy
Always leave the room for the guest to change out of their clothes. Even if your client has no modesty and is ready to strip down mid-conversation, step out briefly. This will leave a moment for them to use a wipe and hop onto the waxing table.
7. Distraction
Upbeat music and good conversation go a long way for the intimate wax experience. Distraction is the best technique to have the wax service fly by without the client having time to focus on any discomfort. It’s important to learn how to focus on the wax task at hand and do it well while distracting the client in conversation. Nothing is more awkward than giving or receiving a Brazilian wax in silence–nothing.
Intimate Waxing: How-To
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Step 1. Be sure to communicate exactly where the client would and wouldn’t like to be waxed.
Step 2. Prep the skin with a pre-wax product, and do not use talc. Talc is highly suspected to be a carcinogen.
Step 3. Apply wax in the direction of the hair growth. Work from the outer area of the bikini toward the inside.
Step 4. Remove hair in the opposite direction swiftly and close to the body. The difference in applying wax to intimate areas is to have complete control of the hair and wax.
Step 5. Apply pressure to the area with your hand after swiftly removing a wax piece. For men, however, do not apply pressure to the testicles.
Step 6. Use smaller sections in areas that have dense hair growth.
Step 7. Use a small applicator for tiny areas.
Step 8. Step out of the room after the service is complete to leave the client to wipe off and collect their thoughts and belongings.
Make Money
Wax services are very intimate. Other occupations don’t compare to how closely estheticians deal with people. The people and connections we make are what set us apart. Add valued technical skills, and the opportunities are endless. Intimate waxing offers the opportunity to earn a good living while making people look and feel great. Wax on.
Cali VanAelst, L.E. has been a licensed and practicing cosmetologist and esthetician since graduating from Pivot Point in 1989. She is currently the training director for Cirépil by Perron Rigot. She was selected by New City as the “Best Waxer in Chicago” and has been featured in both Allure and Chicago magazines as one of Chicago’s best.
